Under the high vaults of the Palace of the Grand Master occupied by the Knights Hospitaller in the 14th century, the Major of Rhodes, Mr. Fotis Chatzidiakos, welcomed the audience and recalled the rich and intricate history of the fortified town.

From its foundation in 408 B.C. by inhabitants from the neighboring cities of Ialyssos, Kamiros, and Lindos, passing through the Romans and Byzantines, the Genoese, the Venetian and Crusaders, the Ottomans and the Italians, Rhodes is an enigmatic symphony of cultures at the crossroads of east and west in the Dodecanese Islands.

A noble city with the beating heart of its magical and turbulent past, a present colored with hanging bougainvilleas on every square and ancient building. A myriad of secrets waits to be told on each of its narrow cobble stone streets.

On the same day another important event took place in the Grand Master’s Palace: the signing of the Referendum of the Convention of Cooperation between the City of Rhodes, and several Greek Ministries and Governmental Institutions. The Convention of Cooperation was originally designed to allocate a budget for the preservation and maintenance of the Medieval Town in Rhodes but after the Olympic Games of 2004 and the associated expenditure, the Convention had to be put on hold.

“This is an historic event,” said Mr. Teris Chatziioannou, Vice-Mayor of Rhodes for Culture and Medieval City. “After 14 years we are gathered here today to sign again the Convention of Cooperation. It’s an of event of enormous significance for the City of Rhodes.”

The Referendum on the Convention was signed by the Mayor of Rhodes, Mr. Fotis Chatzikiakos, the Minister of Shipping of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Nektarios Santorinios, the Governor of the South Aegean Region, Mr. Giorgos Chatzimarkos, and the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Constantinos Stratis.

“I want to thank all the efforts all of you are putting into preserving this magnificent town,” said Mr. Giorgos Chatzimarkos, Governor of the South Aegean Region. “Because the task of preserving this town for future generations is crucial. It goes beyond all of us. And that’s whey we’re here today to sign this document.”

Throughout the day other important talks were to take place, including those addressing challenging topics such as over-tourism related to cruise ships calling at World Heritage port cities; conservation, management and sustainable development of historic cities; and a vision for a sustainable future.

Also attending the ceremony were the Mayors of Kotor, Vladimir Jokic, the Deputy Mayor of Split, Jelena Hrgovic, the Vice-Mayor of Byblos, Mr Julien Zgheib, and Mr. Denis Ricard, Secretary General of the Organization of World Heritage Cities, among many other guests.

“Rhodes was one of the founding fathers of the Organization of World Heritage Cities,” said Mr. Ricard in his opening speech. “Back in 1991 in Quebec City, when the first International Symposium of World Heritage Cities took place, the City of Rhodes was represented. And also ten years later, in Puebla, Mexico, when Rhodes was selected to be the host for the VII World Congress. So many reasons to celebrate today in the beautiful city of Rhodes.”

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Son of the President of the Supreme Court of Northern Cyprus, he studied law in Southampton and the University College London and moved in 2003 to Brussels. After an internship in the European Parliament (all still quite “normal”), he became the first Northern Cypriot (some people would say “Turkish Cypriot”) to work in the European Commission.

Not only in a Directorate General, but in the Cabinets of two Southern Cypriot Commissioners (some would say Greek Cypriots). After this experience, he moved to two Directorate Generals: DG SANCO (health and consumers) and DG MOVE (mobility and transport). This meant that he represented the EU at meetings of the WHO (World Health Organisation) and negotiated maritime aspects in the free trade agreements with the US and Japan.

Because of personal reasons he moved back to the Northern part of Cyprus and worked there as a lawyer, specialised in maritime transport.

To recall: Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Mediterranean. Because of its strategic location, the British conquered it as colony. In 1960, the country became independent and lived peacefully with a power-sharing of the two linguistic groups. In 1974 a war broke out – consequence: the island is now divided and a sort of iron curtain separates the North (Turkish speaking) from the South (Greek speaking). The United Nations (UN) negotiated a referendum to unite the Island: in 2004 it was accepted in the North and rejected in the South. As history is not always fair, the South was accepted to represent the whole of the island as a member of the EU.

And Erdem Erginel in all of this? He practiced law in the Northern part – in a territory only recognised by the neighbouring Turkey. As he always looks for challenges, he went to the South, asked for an internship in a law firm, studied law, discovering how different it has become since the splitting of the country in 1974. Every day, he crossed the border with two identity checks and went through the no man’s land, secured by UN troops. After having passed all the ten examinations, he became a lawyer of the Southern part as well.

This means: he is the only Cypriot, who is now practising law in the two parts of the country. If you look at other separated countries in the recent past (Germany, Korea, Vietnam, Yemen), Erdem Erginel is the only lawyer with a degree from the two sides of the no man’s land to work in the whole territory.

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It is run on a day-to-day basis by Maris and his cousin (also called Maris) who both took charge from Maris’ father Telis Arkoulis. Telis had originally launched Kafenio, with his brother, in 2002 but it was Maris’ grandfather who actually started the family tradition when he entered the restaurant trade back in the 1970s.

All this matters partly because Maris and his cousin now see it as their « duty » to uphold the high standards set by their forefathers. The net result is that, 15 years after it first opened and the « succession » having passed to a new, younger generation, Kafenio is still going from strength to strength and pulling in the customers on a regular basis. As ever, it is the quality of the food that matters most and, here, you will not be disappointed.

From mezzes and grilled dishes to authentic Greek coffee, this is authentic, delicious Greek food which you’d be hard pressed to beat in Brussels. While the « star » is, possibly, the mezze, you’re unlikely to find better Kalamakia (grilled brochettes) anywhere else in town. Several new dishes have recently been added to the menu (updated twice a year), including cassolette de scampis à la feta et miel which is delicious.  Other « newcomers » on the card are « Tourlou » Ratatouille de Legumes, a mezze, and Kokkinisto, a mains lamb dish made from a typical Greek regional recipe. The excellent starters include grilled octopus, calamari (fried the Greek way) and crème de Tarama. The eggplant croquette and shrimps in garlic are equally satisfying. An alternative is the assortment of house mezzes, hot and cold (€16.95 pp). The restaurant is particularly known for its grilled lamb (top quality meat which is sourced from Ireland) and one to look out for – and a favourite with customers – is the brochette de Noix d’Agneau grillee.

Kafenio has also acquired a reputation for serving probably the best octopus in Brussels, the result of a « secret » in-house preparation which infuses it with a « particular taste », according to the owner.

Another « secret » of the quality of the food is that only the freshest possible products/ingredients are used in the kitchen, a good number of them specially imported from Greece.

A heart on the menu (or three, to be precise) indicates the most popular dishes and these include Giouverlakia which consists of meat balls and rice in a lemony juice and another typical Greek dish. We shouldn’t forget of course that perennial Greek fave, moussaka, another best seller here.

A top tip is to try a selection of fish mezes for starters and then sample the lovely lamb as a mains course. That way, you get to discover the very best that Kafenio has to offer.

Aside from the card there’s also a fixed price menu, « Mega Pikilia » which is a very reasonable €31.95 (min. two persons) and includes scampi, lamb and much else besides.

There’s also a fine selection of Greek (and other)  wines. Among the 80-strong choice are wines from the Greek islands (mostly white) and reds from the mainland, including from northern Greece which is particularly well known for the quality of its red wine.

The delightfully relaxing ambience nicely complements the cuisine (look out for a fantastic wooden mosaic of the Grand Place which stretches along the entire length of one wall) and it is worth recalling that this is one of two Greek restaurants owned by the family with the other just round the corner on Rue de Treves (it is called Attica which is also the name of yet another new dish on the menu).

Located at the very heart of the EU  Quarter (opposite the European Commission’s Berlaymont) Kafenio has been a favourite of eurocrats, locals and tourists alike for years now and it’s easy to see why. It is good for a quick business lunch (the place is full of people working nearby during midweek lunchtime) or a relaxing dinner (Friday and Saturday is more the preserve of families and groups). Considering the quality,it is also very reasonably priced with mains from just €16.50.

In Greek, the word Kafenio roughly means « meeting place, a friendly bar where you can have a drink and a bite to eat. » That very neatly sums up Kafenio – stylish with black leather seating and a lounge-bar with modern art.

Good to Know
Address: 134 Rue Stevin, Brussels
Telephone: 02 231 5555

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At least that is certainly the case with Koyzina Authentica which is doing a very valiant job at re-inventing one of the great world cuisines. Over the years the building has played host to all manner of restaurants ranging from Italian and Chinese to Pakistani. But the two very impressive Greek-style pillars that still exist from when it was originally built way back in the 1930s give a clue, perhaps, as to what it was always destined to be.

The pleasant and very welcoming Greek couple who now own this grand venue  – they celebrate their fourth anniversary this month of the opening – actually first came to Belgium only a few years ago themselves.

The pleasant and very welcoming Greek couple who now own this grand venue  – they celebrate their fourth anniversary this month of the opening – actually first came to Belgium only a few years ago themselves.

Charis Dimitrakopoulos came to work for NATO in Brussels while his wife Sofia worked in a bank. The two of them had actually always harboured dreams (as many do!) of running a restaurant but, as Charis readily admits, that was something they thought would have to wait until retirement.

As luck would have it, their dreams were to come true much faster than they could have imagined when the building that now occupies Koyzina Authenticabecame available. At first it was something of a labour of love, with a lot of refurbishment work needed on the premises before it was transformed into the fine eating place it is today. Charis himself even turned his hand to building the bar area that greets guests on their entrance.

The décor is a nice blend of the formal and intimate, affording delightful, classy surroundings for a meal. Happy to report that the cuisine is just as lovely. The aim, as explained by Sofia, is not to merely present traditional Greek dishes (as nice as they are) but to update and modernise them  with an innovate and original twist.

On this, the Greek chef, who has been with the couple since the launch of their restaurant, succeeds very well and deserves much credit for his daring approach in the kitchen. One good example on the a la carte menu (there’s also a regularly rotated suggestions list) is the lamb which is slow cooked and very tender.

The fine food is nicely accompanied by an excellent choice of not only Greek wines – still rather underrated – but also some very good Greek beers. Trying to sell the merits of Greek beers in a country like Belgium with its own beer-making traditions is not easy but there’s plenty about them to commend.

The wonderful wine list contains a very good choice of reds and whites directly imported from Charis and Sofia’s homeland. For those unfamiliar with wine  from Greece there’s also some very expert advice on hand from the knowledgeable staff. Considering the effort and thought that clearly goes into preparation of the fine dishes, the pricing policy is very reasonable.

This place represents something of a fine dining approach to Greek cuisine and, if you are looking for a little “Mediterranean sunshine” to enliven the approaching Belgian winter then look no further than Charis and Sofia’s “dream destination.” You will not be disappointed.

The couple came to  Brussels with the aim of staying a few years only. But they fell in love with the place and decided to put down roots here. All great news for lovers of great Greek food.

Good to know:
The restaurant is closed on Sunday and Monday and booking is advisable on Friday and Saturday.
Address: 519 avenue Brugmann, Uccle
Website: www.greek-restaurant-koyzina–brussels.be

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